


Of Bookworms & Spiders

by Klloggs



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awesome Michelle Jones, F/M, Friends to Lovers, It's the MJ show now fuck you, Michelle Jones Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28065264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klloggs/pseuds/Klloggs
Summary: What if MJ had been at the wrong place at the right time?AKAThe "Michelle was the one bitten by the spider" au my heart so dearly desires
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Academic Decathlon Team (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones & Original Character(s), Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

Adrenaline and pure, unadulterated _excitement_ pulsed through her veins as she swung across the city.

While she usually took a generally utilitarian approach to web-swinging, _-wherever she goes she goes with a purpose no bells and whistles, thank you very much-_ tonight she allowed herself to flip and whoop to her heart’s content, because _today,_ today she’d had her first win.

She’d finally found a lead worth her time. 

Flip.

If in the process she’d found herself fighting a dumb rhino man, well that just meant the lead was the real deal.

It had been a long, drawn out fight but she’d managed to trap the guy in a web of her own making. Metaphorically but also yes, literally. 

_Yes! Oh my god, that_ just _happened. I’d like to see hawkeye do_ that _!_

Another flip and a swan dive.

_Eat your your heart out arrow boy_

She landed on all fours on the side of a nearby building.

The pleasant buzz of success was then drowned out when she took in her reflection on the shiny skyscraper window. 

Riding the high of the win had made her forget that she had been, in fact, thrown around like a ragdoll before she’d gained the upper-hand halfway through the battle, the busted lip and what would undoubtedly soon become a Helen Frankenthaler of bruises under her suit more than proof of that.

_Shit._

The night was young but not so young that she’d heal enough to look presentable before her already too generous curfew, even with her accelerated healing. She couldn’t go home, couldn’t let Gayle, or worse, _Tommy_ , see her like this. 

So she made the logical next step any teenager would’ve done: she lied to her legal guardian

“Hey, sorry I didn’t call.” she could hear clattering in the background

_Oh. Speaker. Fun._

“Shelly! That’s ok, are you still at school?” 

“Yeah, acadec practice ran long but some of the guys want to head over to Peter’s place to unwind with a couple movies,” she paused to pick out her next words, imbuing her usual amount nonchalance to hide the mild panic at the prospect of her sister saying _no_ “figured we'd make it a full-on sleepover, since it’s friday.”

“Oh! _Peter’s_ place, huh?” she could _hear_ her raise her eyebrows 

“ _Gayle.”_

“Yeah, yeah. It's fine. Just get home early tomorrow, will you? I’ve got a morning shift and I really need you here with Tommy.”

_Jackpot._

“Cool. See you.”

“I love you, bye.”

“Bye.”

She took one last look at the cracked lense on her goggles and her ripped hoodie. 

_Yikes._

* * *

As if gentle tapping was too subtle to get his attention, Peter Parker realized there was someone at his window when said someone _let themselves in._

Startled and jumpy as ever, Peter nearly dropped what looked to be his latest dumpster diving project.

“AH! _Wha- Wha- What_ are you doing here?” he leaned lamely on the back of his desk chair “Uh, welcome?”

**Nice. Real smooth.**

“I got my ass kicked, earlier,” she said with the tone one might use to explain they got held up at the bank “and I need a place to crash.”

“Oh.” he finally took in her injuries “ _Oh._ Michelle, you ok?” 

He walked towards the windowsill she was still half-sitting on and very nearly reached to touch her face, stopping himself before he did.

**Don’t be creepy.**

“So, uh.” he paused “I figure you didn’t win?”

**_Don't_ embarrass her dumbass**

She perked up a little at that, raising a cocky eyebrow.

“No, I don’t think I did.” she turned her face a little to throw her bangs off her face, a smirk gracing her features

God he’s going to remember that look _forever_.

Because she’s a _superhero_ , which is _cool_ , and this is a big moment any superhero fan would remember. Obviously. Duh _._

“Tell you what, let’s trade. A good story for a night in your top bunk.”

“Deal.”


	2. Back to Basics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let's go back, let's go back

The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and Michelle Jones was already over this whole place.

Over the years Michelle had come to fancy herself a bit of a sleuth, even if said sleuthing consisted mostly of scrolling through pages and pages of conspiracy theories online. Shaky as she knew some of them were, there was one thing she was sure of:  _ Oscorp is bullshit. _

From shady business practices and stolen patents to supposed under the table deals to run human trials on experimental bio-enhancers, the whole thing was just about anything and everything she detested from a mega corporation.

But alas, her GPA did not care about her feelings and their class still had to write a paper on the advancements they’ve made in GMOs in the past few years. Yay.

So there she was, spending her Thursday afternoon wandering the halls of Oscorp’s pretentious  _ apple store meets 5th grade science fair _ showroom, getting her info straight from the source. 

So what if the paper was technically already finished? She’s being a diligent student and truly immersing herself in the topic, sue her.

If Peter Parker, dork extraordinaire, happened to be doing the same… well that was no one’s business but her own.

She passed by some kind of radiation demonstration and paused to listen to the presenter in front of what seemed to be the crowning jewel among the exhibitions: a massive floor-to-ceiling display of a wide variety of insects, arachnids and myriapods. 

All of them scuttling around inside their respective tiny cubicles visible through what looked to be some kind of sturdy clear plastic. Some spots were empty though,  _ back inside the lab for actual testing _ , if she were to guess.

_ Kind of pretty _

Eventually the crowd surrounding the critters dispersed as people moved onto the next big display. 

Still transfixed by view, she reached into her bag where her trusty sketchbook lay safely tucked among thrifted paperbacks and granola bars in various states of dismay under the pressure of it all. She might as well get a life study out of this whole experience.

Art meant many things, and for her that was the point . For all the books she’d read in her lifetime, to this day words kept escaping her when it came to actually expressing what she  _ actually  _ wanted to say. Words were easy to choose but very hard to say.

People said a picture said more than a thousand words and so, once upon a time she’d picked up a pencil.

Lost in the thin charcoal lines adorning the page, Michelle failed to notice a thin, clear strand descending from the ceiling. A small twitching spider attached to the lower end of it.

Before she could process the spider’s landing on her left hand, Michelle was blinded by white-hot pain spreading across her body as if she’d been set on fire.

She cried out and stumbled backwards, tripping on her own feet and--

And then the pain was gone as quick as it had arrived. 

Her vision returned and she noticed a number of situations staring at her in the face, some literally. 

For one: she felt embarrassment climb up her throat at the realization that she was currently  _ still  _ laying on the floor in the middle of a very public place and after screaming bloody murder over a  _ bug. _

Second: among the crowd of concerned on-lookers surrounding her was the guy she’d nursed an  _ annoying _ crush since freshman year and he was staring at her like she’d grown a second head.

_ Nice priorities Miss Jones, real feminist. _

Third: she was  _ burning up.  _ Not  _ embarrassment related _ kind of burning up but  _ holy shit get me a cold compress _ kind of burning up.

She, uh. She needed to  _ leave.  _

Standing up first would probably be a good idea, though. 

Regaining her composure, she got up and brushed her tastefully faded jean jacket with about as much nonchalance as she could muster and addressed the crowd with a flat tone:

“I’m good.” 

A pause. 

“Bye.”

She then did a 180 degree turn and skedaddled out of there without waiting for a response.

* * *

_ Was the world always this loud and bright or am I just losing my mind? _

After making her  _ very relaxed  _ exit she made her way to the nearest subway station but tried as she might, everything around her was just  _ screaming. _

She fished in her bag once again but this time for the dumb pair of novelty  _ hot dog _ sunglasses Gayle had given her during a trip to Coney Island months ago. 

_ Blessings in disguise, dignity be damned. _

She moved surprisingly swiftly through the cramped streets as she walked with a purpose. Michelle Jones was nothing if not efficient.

It was then she faced her next obstacle: the stairs leading to the subway, impossibly steep in her dazed.

“Crap.”

* * *

The subway car itself was not better, if anything it was like she was stuck in a metal box and everyone around was loudly breathing in her ear and no one had bothered to oil the rails in decades.

She shut her eyes tight and pressed the little button on the cord of her headphones to start her favorite playlist.  _ That  _ was better.

Her curly hair acted as a curtain, shielding her peripheral vision while she held her head with her hands, elbows on her knees. 

The rest of the trip was more of the same as she kept the same position 

Suddenly, electric goosebumps pulsed through her spine.

As if aware of what was about to happen, Michelle reached into the empty space above the strap of her bag over her shoulder as the space itself was filled by a sly hand. 

Without thinking Michelle stood, pulled on the wrist she’d caught and flipped over the man trying to snatch her belongings, leaving him writhing on the subway floor. She stepped back with a gasp.

The subway doors opened, then. Allowing Michelle to make her second escape of the day, making a run for it this time.

The moment she was above ground once again she took a moment to lean against a wall to catch her breath, recollect her thoughts.

“What-” she panted “What the  _ hell _ ?”

* * *

On a good day, walking into the cozy apartment she called home to the smell of Gayle’s cooking and Tommy’s racket was a warm reminder of the people in her life.

Today was not a good day.

With her head still reeling and her lunch threatening to make a reappearance, she was  _ really _ not in the mood to answer her nephew’s daily game of  _ 15 questions _ about how her day went.

Barely grunting in response to her big sister’s greetings, she headed straight to the safe haven of her room. 

Absent-mindedly slamming the door behind her she noticed her room looked clear as day despite the heavy curtains doing nothing to help whatever little autumn afternoon light was still fighting to enter.

She dumped her things gracelessly next to her bed right before the world went black for a second.

_ THUMP _

* * *

When she regained consciousness she realized she could hear Gayle calling her name faintly from the kitchen.

A weak  _ mmgh _ was all she could muster but it was drowned by all the blaring going on. Or was that her? Maybe it was just her.

A minute or so later, her sister let herself into the room as she dried her hands on her jeans, damp from washing the dishes, a smile still on her face.

She didn’t seem too concerned about the dull stump a bit ago, or about the lack of response from her.

Their neighbors were not particularly quiet and with a neurodivergent teenage girl and 8 year old in the house, she was used to her roommates being too invested in whatever they were doing to answer right away.

However, her eyes widened with terror the second she caught sight of her little sister laying on the floor.

“Shell, you-  _ oh my god!”  _ immediately she knelt besides her and placed MJ’s head in her lap, “What  _ happened _ ?! You’re hot as hell!”

_ “Thanks..” _

_ I am going to get So Much brain damage. _

“Michelle!”

_ “S’just allergies..”  _ she slowly sat up with her hands resting on her knees  _ “M’fine…” _

_ “That _ , you are not. Get in bed.” 

“I’m  _ okay _ ,” she made sure to enunciate her words clearly “really.”

The last thing she needed was to put more on Gayle’s plate.

Gayle didn’t buy it for a second and pulled Michelle’s arm over her shoulder and sat her in the bed.

_ Wow she’s So Strong... _

“Missy, you are sleeping this off.  _ Now. _ ”

“I--“

“ _ Huh-pup-up _ ! I don’t want to hear it.”

She she mimed an x with her hands and then put them on her hips and turned her head quickly, then turned back to Michelle.

“Listen, I hear Tommy calling but you lay down and try to sleep, please?” she tilted her head to better meet her little sister’s eyes “I’ll be right back with some cold medicine, okay?” 

Michelle plopped down on the mattress with a huff and gave an unenthusiastic thumbs up.

She walked towards the door but stopped at the frame of it and pointed back at Michelle with a stern look.

“ _ No reading.  _ And if you don’t get better within the hour I’m taking you to the ER. Be warned. Love you.”

“ _ M’too” _

The moment she was under the covers she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hot dog sunglasses: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514FnNX-jrL._AC_SL1001_.jpg

**Author's Note:**

> Short and sweet I hope? Next one's gonna be the actual story of how we got here in the first place
> 
> Note: This is my first fic, have mercy on me 👉👈😳


End file.
